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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — magic
  3. cap — a lid
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a friend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com